In studying Galatians 4, I’m re-learning how essential it is for man or woman of God to understand the concept of sonship and to walk in it. We all share in the title of “Son.” The Father had one Begotten Son – Jesus – and we receive that same spirit. So, we are no longer adopted children of some impersonal foster parent. We have the same “blood” as Christ – the same genetic makeup. The same.
Remember that we are not slaves, but sons of God. We are set free to live powerful lives by the Spirit! Many in the church are caught up in legalism –
doing – when they don’t even realize the most important part –
being. You can’t do ministry effectively if you don’t realize who you really are in Christ – a son, and therefore a rightful heir.
We receive God’s DNA, he calls us his children, and he gives us the kingdom.
We are no longer beggars. We are no slaves. We are children of the King. And if the earth is the Lord’s, then what is our royal inheritance? You guessed it. Here’s what a commentator says about the
beginning of this chapter (Gal. 4), and I think that there’s a lot here for us to glean
and help others get set free:
Gal
4:1 –
Now I say –
He had before said (Gal. 3:24-25) that while
they were under the Law they were in a state of minority. This sentiment he
proceeds further to illustrate by showing the true condition of one who was a
minor.
That the heir –
Any heir to an estate, or one who
has a prospect of an inheritance. No matter how great is the estate; no matter
how wealthy his father; no matter to how elevated a rank he may be raised on the
moment that he enters on his inheritance, yet until that time he is in the
condition of a servant.
As long as he
is a child – Until he arrives at the age. The
word rendered “child” (
νήπιοι
nēpioi)
properly means an infant; literally, “one not speaking” (
νη
nē insep.
un,
ἔπος
epos), and
hence, a child or babe, but without any definite limitation – Robinson. It is
used as the word “infant” is with us in law, to denote “a
minor.”
Differeth
nothing from a servant – That is, he has no more control of
his property; he has it not at his command. This does not mean that he does not
differ in any respect, but only that in the matter under consideration he does
not differ. He differs in his prospects of inheriting the property, and in the
affections of the father, and usually in the advantages of education, and in the
respect and attention shown him. but in regard to property, he does not differ,
and he is like a servant, under the control and direction of
others.
Though he be
lord of all – That is, in prospect. He has a
prospective right to all the property, which no one else has. The word “lord”
here (
κύριος
kurios), is
used in the same sense in which it is often in the Scriptures, to denote master
or owner. The idea which this is designed to illustrate is, that the condition
of the Jews before the coming of the Messiah was inferior in many respects to
what the condition of the friends of God would be under him – as inferior as the
condition of an heir was before he was of age, to what it would be when he
should enter on his inheritance.
The Jews claimed, indeed, that they were the
children or the sons of God, a title which the apostle would not withhold from
the pious part of the nation; but it was a condition in which they had not
entered on the full inheritance, and which was far inferior to that of those who
had embraced the Messiah, and who were admitted to the full privileges of
sonship. They were indeed heirs. They were interested in the promises. But still
they were in a condition of comparative servitude, and could be made free only
by the gospel.
